Toy electric engine



July 24, 1928. 1,678,397 J. KOENIG TOY ELECTRIC ENGINE Filed Sept. 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I July 24, 1928. 1,678,397

J. KOENIG TOY ELECTRIC ENGINE Filed Sept. 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g ww Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KOENIG, OF MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO METAL WARE CORPO- RATION, OF TWO RIVERS, WISCONSIN.

TOY ELECTRIC ENGINE.

Application filed September 16, 1927. Serial No. 219,965.

This invention relates to toy electric engines.

Objects of this invention are to provlde a toy engine which closely simulates an ordinary toy steam engine, but which has none of the dangers connected with the use of toy steam engines, but which instead 1s actuated by a battery or transformer without any possible danger to the user.

Further objects are to provide a toy electric engine which is controlled in a simple manner by a manually operable lever so that the engine may be turned on and off as required, and which is also so made that it makes a sound corresponding roughly to the sound of the exhaust in the toy steam engine.

Further objects of this invention are to provide a toy engine which may be made primarily from sheet metal stamplngs in a ver economical and simple manner, an which is consequently very cheap in price.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine partly in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a view looking down on the magnets with the enclosing casing removed and with a part of the armature in section;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connection.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the engine comprises a sheet metal base 1 which carries a sheet metal cylindrical member 2. This cylindrical member 2 simulates a boiler and is provided with a dummy stack 3. It is also provided with removable ends 4 and 5 and is just of suficient size to removably receive a dry battery 6. The dry battery consequently may be renewed whenever desired and may be readily joined to the other connections or portions of the circuit, as its terminals 7 are freely accessible when the cover 5 is removed (see Figure 2). On the side of the base, a pair of uprights 8 are mounted and carry the shaft 9 of a flywheel 10. The shaft is provided with a crank 11 at one end connected by means of a pitman 12 with the armature 13 of the electromagnets. These electromagnets are indicated by the reference character 14 and are formed in pairs with their outer ends 1 with reference to the shaft.

joined to the upturned portions of a magnetic yoke 15, such for example, as iron.

Further, it is to be noted that this yoke is provided with 'downturned ears 16 which pivotally receive between them the lower portion of the armature 13, as shown in Figure 1.

The magnets are covered by means of a sheet metal casing 17 which supports a sheet metal cylinder 18. The cylinder 18 is provided with a slot 19 through which the pitman 12 passes.

On the side of the base 17 of the cylinders, a manually operable switch 20 is pivoted and is adapted to open or close the circuit of the magnets 14.

Further, it is to be noted from reference to Figure 4 that the shaft 9 is grounded and carries a pin 21 eccentrically mounted This pin is adapted to cooperate with the curved contact spring fingers 22 which are connected to the respective pair of magnets, as shown in Flgure 4. The other sides of the magnets are connected together and to one end of the switch 20. A contact 23 cooperating with the switch is connected to one side of the battery 24. The other side of the battery is grounded to the frame of the machine.

In operation, the user closes a switch, thus connecting the battery to the electromagnets through the contact fingers 22 and the pin 21. As the shaft 9 rotates the pin 21 closes first one and then the other of the circuits of the electromagnets and consequently the armature is drawn first one way and then the other way back and forth between the magnets. This imparts reciprocatory motion to the rod 12 and causes rapid rotation of the shaft 9 through the crank connection.

It is to be understood that each of the pivot points, for example, the point where the crank and connecting rod or link 12 join, the pivot point of the armature and the point where the link 12 and the armature join, provide a slight amount of lost motion. This causes a thud to be produced each time the current is turned on the magnets, so that there are separate dull pulses or sounds produced to correspond roughly to the sound produced by an ordinary toy steam engine.

It is to be distinctly understood that although batteries have been described asthe energizing means for the electromagnets that obviously a small bell ringing type of transformer may be carried wit in the main casing in place of the battery without departing from the spirit of th1s inventlon.

It will be seen, therefore, that a very simple t pe of toy electric engine has been provide by this invention which is simple to operate, which is cheap to manufacture,

and which is absolutely safe.

Although the invention has been described inconsiderable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention may be variously embodied and as the scope of such invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim: 7

1. A toy electric engine comprising a base, a battery casing carried by the base and simulating a boiler, electromagnets, an armature operated by said electromagnets a.

pivotally mounted between said magnets and projecting into the cylinder, a link pivoted'to the upper end of said armature and extending outwardly through said cylinder, a pair of uprights carried by said base, a shaft revolubly carried by said uprights and having a crank, said link being connected to said crank, and a pair of contacts carried by said shaft for controlling the actuation of said magnets.

3. A toy electric engine comprising a yoke having upturned ends and having downturned ears, an armature pivoted to said downturned cars, a pair of electromagnets secured at their outer ends to each of the upturned ends of said yoke, a revolubly mounted shaft provided with a flywheel and a crank, a link connecting the upper end of said armature with said crank, and contacts carried'by said shaft and controlling said electromagnets.

4. A toy electric engine comprising a sheet metal base, a sheet metal cylindrical member having removable ends, a battery carried within said last mentioned member, :1 cylinder, a support for said cylinder carried by said base, and having a manually controlled switch thereon, a pair of electromagnets mounted within said support, an armature pivoted between said electromagnets and projectin into said cylinder, a revolubly mounted sha t carried in supports extending upwardly from said base and having a crank connected by a link with the upper end of said armature, said link assing'into said cylinder, a flywheel carried by said shaft, a pair of contacts carried by said shaft and controlling the energization of said electromagnets, said switch being connected' to said electroma ets and to said battery, whereby said engine may be started or stopped by operating said switch.

-In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Manitowoc, in the county of Manitowoc and State of Wisconsin.

JOSEPH KOENIG. 

